Usually, there’s a ton of melodrama once we realize an artist isn’t actually singing during a performance.

When Lorde took to the MTV Video Music Awards stage Sunday night, she made it very clear that she would not be lending any live vocals to her performance of “Homemade Dynamite.” (MTV announced it as a remix, though Lorde later tweeted she “didn’t know why they said” that.)

Instead of being awkward, though, her interpretive dance number was lovely, mystifying and a bit strange, much like the singer herself. Sans microphone, the “Green Light” songstress happily swayed and pranced in a tinfoil-esque, tutu-ish outfit, looking like she was having more fun that most other people there. (Though she did manage to confuse a goodportion of the audience, if Twitter is any indication.)

The GIFs are so good, we’ll let them speak for themselves.

Her VMAs dance routine made this earlier tweet, where she wrote “been rehearsing for the VMAs and my knees are covered in bruises,” make a little more sense.

Earlier in the night, the singer tweeted about her red carpet look, revealing that she has the flu. It’s possible her illness led to her self-imposed vocal rest onstage.